re: Sports rules you would like to see changed

quote:

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In my head I'm making the same argument. They (The defense) should be rewarded (ball is moved back 15 yards); but they didn't recover the ball; so why should they get the ball just for causing the fumble, but not completing the play and recovering during the run of play?

So reward for causing fumble/mistake, but not get the ball because they didn't recover the ball.

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That's why the rules specifically call this out as a touchback; because losing the ball out of the boundaries of the end zone always results in a negative for whoever lost the ball out of the boundary.

An offense losing the ball out of their own endzone = safety (note that nobody is arguing that the defense shouldn't get a reward for a team fumbling out of their own end zone)

An offense throwing an incomplete pass outside of the end zone = loss of down

An offense losing the ball out of the other team's endzone = touchback

There are so many damn rules that protect the offense and are not in the defense's favor. The field itself and its purpose protect the defense and should incentivize the offense to protect the ball around the goal line.

Here's a twist for you - on a kickoff, the team kicking the ball is STILL ON OFFENSE and still has possession of the ball. By rule, they are allowed a free kick. On a free kick, the ball is live and anyone can recover it once it has traveled 10 yards (the receiving team can recover it at any time). If the ball (which is a live ball) goes out of the end zone, the ball is awarded to the defending team at the 25 yard line.

It's literally treated the same as a fumble - a live, loose ball that is able to be recovered by anyone goes out of the end zone. Result is a touchback for the defending team.